The number of rounds of Swiss pairing, will depend on the total number of tournament entrants.

8-16 players 4 rounds

17-32 players 5 rounds

33-64 players 6 rounds

Match outcomes are scored according to game wins and victory banner totals, with a total of 3 points available for each pair of games.

Please note that counts of blocks won and lost are not required for this stage of the tournament.

Players are ranked each round by the total number of points they have accrued. Players on the same point total are further ranked according to their Strength of Opposition score, which is the total score of all opponents they have played so far. Rankings will be published between each round.

For the first round, players are paired randomly. Thereafter, players are paired against the player closest to them in rank (1st vs 2nd, 3rd vs 4th, etc) with the exception that no two players will be paired twice during the Swiss rounds.

For tournaments with an odd number of entrants, one player will receive a bye each round. This will be randomly assigned in the first round and then to the lowest ranked player on subsequent rounds, with the exception that no player will receive two byes in the tournament. A bye will be scored as a 3 point victory against an opponent with zero total score for purpose of calculating Strength of Opposition.

Both games won by one player 3 points to winner / 0 points to loser

One game won by each player 2 points to player with most total victory banners over both games

1 point to player with least total victory banners

1.5 points to each player if victory banner totals tied

Bye / Opponent Forfeits 3 points

Games not completed (no forfeit) 1 point to each player

Elimination Rounds

After completion of the designated number of Swiss rounds, the top 8 ranked players will advance to elimination playoffs. Players will be paired and advance in the following brackets.

Quarter Finals

1st vs 8th -> Semi Final 1

4th vs 5th -> Semi Final 1

2nd vs 7th -> Semi Final 2

3rd vs 6th -> Semi Final 2

Winner from both Semi Finals meet in the Final

Over two games, players total victory banners won and blocks eliminated for each player. The winner of each elimination bracket will be determined by total victory banners. If total victory banners are tied, the winner will be the player who had the least total blocks destroyed. If players are tied for victory banners and blocks, the player who was ranked highest in the Swiss rounds will advance.

GENERAL RULES

A game ends immediately when one player earns the required number of banners to achieve victory.

Once the schedule for the tournament is published, players are responsible for contacting each other and setting up a time to play their games. There will be a tournament page with the schedule of games, standings and player list with contact information provided.

Unless otherwise noted, all scenarios will be played following GMT's living rules for the 6th printing of the game, found on the GMT website, and, when applicable, GMT's Epic Ancients II rules. Please do not let rule disputes interfere with the enjoyment of the game, but if rules cannot be resolved between those playing the game, contact the tournament referee to have the dispute arbitrated. In addition, players should also familiarize themselves with the “Commands and Colors Ancients Vassal Conventions” given below.

It is up to the individual players to arrange and play their games. The schedule will give a deadline in which all the games in a round should be completed. If a player does not respond to emails, please contact the tournament referee. It is important to keep the referee informed of problems as they occur. Generally, if a deadline passes without communication to the referee from either player involved in a game, both players will be counted as having forfeited the game.

The tournament referee will be the final arbiter of disputes. If the referee is playing in a tournament and is involved in a dispute, the designated assistant referee will arbitrate. Hopefully, this rule will not be necessary as this tournament is being set up for people to play games and have fun. Most problems that arise in a game can be easily solved with good sportsmanship.

Commands and Colors Ancients

VASSAL CONVENTIONS

The side determined to be moving first in the scenario will draw command cards first.

To play a card, drag it from your hand window to the map board. Wait for your opponent to place the card on the discard pile, allowing him time to read the card and ensure that both players are still connected to the server. When playing Epic scenarios, discard opponent's last play (unless playing Counter Attack for a particular section/Army Card, in which case place it beside the card to be countered) and reposition any used initiative dice, then place cards on the designated space for the corresponding section. If any initiative rolls are to be made, place the initiative die for that section into the designated space in lieu of a card

Issue orders to all units being ordered prior to making any movements. Units which are ordered but not moving should be highlighted before the battle phase of your turn by right-clicking the unit and selecting “Order Unit” from the pop-up menu. The same process will remove the highlight from a unit, if necessary.

When moving units multiple hexes, make sure to move them a single hex at a time to generate an accurate movement trail.

Until the first battle roll of the turn has been rolled, orders and movements may be altered. However, if this becomes abusive or ritualistic and reasonably interferes with any player's enjoyment of the game, a more rigorous turn phase enforcement may be adopted in the future.

To battle, right click the attacking unit and select “Attack Marker” from the menu to place a yellow attack marker on the attacking unit, and then right click the target unit and select “Target Marker” to place a red target marker on that unit. Once the markers are placed, the attacker should notify his opponent of the number of battle dice to be rolled in the chat window (by typing “3d” for a 3 battle dice attack, for example). The defender will then confirm the attacker’s note (with a “y” for yes, or similar) or will make a First Strike play if possible. Of course, if the attacker has entered what the defender believes to be an incorrect number of dice, he should instead advise his opponent of this. Once the attack is resolved, the attack marker should be converted to a “Battled” (blue) marker via the right-click menu. The target marker should be either deleted or dragged to the next target unit. To avoid confusion, there should never be more than one yellow attacker marker and one red target marker on the board. Until the announced battle roll has been rolled, decisions about the battle may be altered (e.g. changing targets, or decided against the battle, etc.). However, if this becomes abusive or ritualistic and reasonably interferes with any player's enjoyment of the game, a “once announced, set in stone” enforcement may be adopted in the future.

If you roll too many battle dice, simply use the results of the correct number of dice, counting from left to right, from the roll already made and ignore the excess results. If too few are rolled, simply roll the remaining dice necessary to make the total amount rolled correct.

After your combat phase is complete, draw command card(s). If playing Epic scenarios, please announce your Command number after your draw. Push the “Clear” button to delete the combat markers from the board and to remove all the highlights and movement trails from the units on the board. This ends your turn and signals your opponent that it is his turn.

When returning to a game after losing connection with the Vassal server, the player who returns should synchronize to the player who remained connected and has an uninterrupted logfile.